Hybrid Tea rose plant named `Wekjoe`

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Hybrid Tea rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of white coloration edged with pink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose.The varietal denomination of the new variety is `Wekjoe`. The plant is abushy upright seedling cultivated for outdoor garden decoration. It hasas its seed parent the variety known as `Gold Medal` (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 5,177`) and its pollen parent is unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from otherpresently available and known commercial rose cultivars are thefollowing combination of characteristics: its extremely large foliagecarried to the ground, its very vigorous, bushy, tall, upright habit,its cream colored flowers edged with bright pink, and its extremely longstems. `Wekjoe` may be asexually propagated by cuttings, budding, andgrafting.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety as performed in Kern County andUpland, Calif., by budding shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENT

The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, `Gold Medal` bythe following combination of characteristics: whereas the new varietyhas flowers of cream edged with pink, `Gold Medal` has flowers of deepgold coloration. The seed parent has medium large leaves and leaflets,whereas `Wekjoe` has significantly larger foliage. `Wekjoe` isclassified as a Hybrid Tea bearing mostly one flower per stem, whereas`Gold Medal` is classified as a Grandiflora bearing mostly clusters offlowers.

The pollen parent of the new variety is unknown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

The accompanying photograph illustrates the new variety and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom depicted in color as nearlycorrect as it is possible to make in a color illustration of thecharacter. Throughout this specification, color values are based uponthe Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England,except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is of rose plants of the new cultivar grownoutdoors in Upland, Calif. in the month of August. Phenotypic expressionmay vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as wellas differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The new variety bears its flowers usually singly, sometimes two to threeper stem. Flowers are borne in regular flat to rounded clusters on verystrong very long stems (about 46 to about 72 cm.) for the class.Outdoors the plant blooms freely and nearly continuously during thegrowing season. The flowers have a very slight tea fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of average to long length for the class (about 6 toabout 8 cm.), and usually erect. It is moderately smooth with manystipitate glands and some hairs. Peduncle color is between 144A and138A.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is of medium size for the class (about2 to about 3 cm. in diameter at the widest point), moderately long inlength (about 3.5 to about 4.5 cm.), and pointed to ovoid in shape. Thesurface of the bud bears some stipitate glands usually with slenderfoliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud equal to 1/2 ormore of its length. Bud color is between 144A and 138A.

The inner surface of the sepals is covered with fine wooly tomentum;sepal margins are lined with some stipitate glands and hairs.

As the petals open, the bud is medium to large for the class (about 2.5to about 3.5 cm. in diameter at the widest point), of moderately longlength (about 4 to about 5 cm.), and very pointed to ovoid in form. Thepredominant color of the under and upper surfaces of the newly openedpetals is between 155A and 157D. The edge of the petal is colored withbetween 61B and 53C which suffuses into the predominant color. The buddoes open up well and is not prevented from opening in wet, cold, hot ordry weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is of medium to large size for the class,ranging from about 9 to about 12 cm. in diameter. Petalage is doublewith 28 to 33 petals and 1 to 4 petaloids arranged regularly. Whenpartially open, the bloom form is cupped to high centered and the petalsare spiraled with petal edges somewhat rolled outward. When fully open,the bloom form is more cupped and full and the petals are more looselycupped and undulated with petal edges slightly rolled outward.

PETALS

The petals are of good substance and of medium thickness, with upper andunder surfaces slightly satiny. The outer petals are round to broadlyobovate in shape with apices very rounded. The inner petals are morenarrowly ovate to obovate in shape with apices rounded to flat.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The predominant color of the under and upper surfaces of the outer,intermediate and inner petals is between 155A and 155C. The edge of thepetals is colored with between 61C and 54A that suffuses into thepredominant color. On the under side of the petals, the edge colorsuffuses into the predominant color more quickly than on the upper sideof the petal.

The general tonality of the newly opened flower is between 155A and 155Cwith an edging of between 61C and 54A.

THREE DAY OLD FLOWER

The predominant color of the under and upper surface of the outer andinner petals is between 155C and 155D. The edge of the petals is coloredwith between 66D and 63D which suffuses into the predominant color. Onthe under side of the petals, the edge color suffuses into thepredominant color more quickly than on the upper side of the petal.

The general tonality of the three day old flower is between 155C and155D with an edging of between 66D and 63D.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly.

In August, in Upland, Calif., blooms on the bush growing outdoorsgenerally last from four to five or more days. Cut roses grown outdoorsand kept at normal indoor living temperatures generally last from fiveto six or more days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens vary in number and are arranged regularly about the pistil. Thefilaments are of irregular length, most with anthers. The anthers openapproximately at the same time. Anther color is near 22B when immatureand near 165B at maturity. Pollen is very abundant and near 19C incolor.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils are many and vary in number (approximately 110). The styles areuneven and loosely bunched. Stigma color is near 4C. Style color is near45D. Ovaries are usually all enclosed in the calyx.

Hips are globular in form, and near 21C in color when ripe. The hipsurface is very smooth with thick fleshy walls. The sepals fall awaysoon. Seeds vary in number (approximately 18 to 26).

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five leaflets andare borne very abundantly. The leaves are very large for the class(about 16 to about 19 cm. in length and about 14 to about 16 cm. inwidth at the widest point), have leathery texture, and semi-glossyfinish. The leaflets are very large for the class (about 6.5 to about 11cm. in length and about 4 to about 6 cm. in width at the widest point),shaped somewhat oval to ovate with acute apices and round to acutebases. Their margins are usually simply serrate.

The upper surface of the mature leaf is between 147A and 136A. The undersurface of the mature leaf is between 138B and 191B. The upper surfaceof the young leaf is between 147B and 137B, moderately suffused withbetween 183B and 184B. The under surface of the young leaf is veryheavily suffused with between 183B and 184B.

The rachis is moderately heavy in caliper and grooved with few hairs andstipitate glands on the edges of the upper side. The under side of therachis is very smooth with few hairs and some moderately large pricklesof near 160D in coloration.

The stipules are very narrow with short straight points that usuallyturn out at an angle of more than 90 degrees.

The plant displays an above average degree of resistance to powderymildew and blackspot as compared to other commercial varieties grownunder comparable conditions in Upland, Calif.

GROWTH

The plant has a very upright, very tall habit (about 220 to about 280cm. in height and about 120 to about 140 cm. in spread at the widestpoint), with very full branching. It displays very vigorous growth.

The color of the major stems is near 146D. They bear many large prickleswhich are angled slightly downward; prickle color is near 165B. Themajor stem bears no small prickles.

The color of the branches is between 144A and 137D. They bear many largeprickles which are angled slightly downward; prickle color is between144C and 160C. The branches bear very few small prickles of similarshape and coloration.

The color of the new shoots is near 144B often lightly suffused withnear 183B. They bear many large prickles angled slightly downward;prickle color is near 144C. The shoots bear very few small prickles ofsimilar shape and coloration.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Hybrid Tea rose substantiallyas described and illustrated herein.